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Pereira: LVG refused to loan me, said I would play

Andreas Pereira says that he wanted to leave Manchester United on loan in January, but was persuaded by Louis van Gaal to stay.

Pereira is one of the most highly-rated players emerging from United’s development system, but has found game time difficult to come by this season.

The Brazilian has featured for just 80 minutes of this Premier League season, 64 fewer than Adnan Januzaj, and only 27 more than Donald Love.

Pereira has also been used sparingly in the Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League, while the Brazilian did play the full 120 minutes of the Capital One Cup third-round defeat to Middlesbrough.

The 20-year-old has played just 55 minutes of competitive first-team football since January, when he claims to have asked manager Van Gaal if he could leave on loan.

“I wanted to be loaned out in January in order to play more and to keep developing myself, but Van Gaal told me that he did not want me to be loaned out,” Pereira said, as quoted by the Daily Telegraph.

“He told me to stay in Manchester because he would use me and that I would play.

“I told him that was fine, and that if I could stay and play then I would. He did not let me leave. I took the decision and now I’m training, doing my job and waiting for him to fulfil his word.”

Pereira also spoke of his “frustration” at a lack of playing opportunities in January.